Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
loot RAIL.
The Growing Popularity Of the sport I'm
Washington.


Washington.
PLANS ron AN ORGANIZED ASSOCIATION HERE Next
YtAs-py-crrrfox or rHk xookRS GAME-srRAr-
EGY AND SKILL, S0r BRUTE FORCE, fTs ESSENTIAL
YEarUKEs-How ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
The otlate plsskin-covered spheroidaI foot bail
has bad a hard time Of IL in Washington this year.
II has been kicked, and punched, and squeezed,
and dattened until its seams have started and it
has become nabby and out OF wind. It's torment
ors have received q treatment but a little better
than the ball, and as the season draws to a close
the lumber OF bruised and mutIlated young men
Throughout the city gruws alarmingly large
There has been q gradually Increasing tendency
IN Washington toward this sport for the past
three or four years, and the enthusiasm has now
reached such pitch that the sport divides the
honos OF the field almost equally with the IA
uonal game OF base ball
WASHINGTON TRAMs
As result OF this growth cluos have this fall
been organized In every part OF the city. Young
men IN schools. In colleges, In neighborhoods, be-
Gan the work Of organization during the latter
part OF september, and there were during october
play: Athletic, Amateur, DUPONT. Le Jroit, Ken
Gall, High School, Emerson Institute, Friends
school and Waliach School teams IN this city. and
TIE Episcopal High school ana St Johns Academy
Eleyens In Alexandria. There was, unfortunately,
no organized association between these teams and
the contests that took place were OF hap-hazard
style some very good games however, were
played between the teams that were more evenly
matched in skill and strength On several occa-
sons certain Of the clubs paid visits 70 Baltimore
and Annapolis 20 play the johns Hopkins men and
the cadetS and were frequently defeated by these
clubs, which have earned regulations for steady
plsytag. IL has been suggested that another year
an association OF football pl ayers be formed here,
TO consist OF from ve 20 ten clubs for the purpose
OF regular contests The victOrs OF this association
could then play match games with the neigh
boring teams, thus creating more enthusiasm In
the game than has been heretofore shown.
SKILL DISPLAYED IN PLAYING.
Many people object 20 the game rs being too
rough They see n contest for instance. between
Inexperienced players who believe that the only
way to win Il TO introduce brute force, while In
rea nty strategy and skill only are required. The
college teams, however, are so anxious for
SUPREMACY and the riyalrfes between the colleges
are So strong, that the contestants supplement-
their skill by an unnecessary exhibition OF brute
strength In consequence OF this tendency the
large number OF painful accidents has given the
sport the name OF brutal" game; but a match
between good players OF equal ability, such as Is
always To b. desired is far from being dangerous.
In the English game the element OF danger Is
Considerably increased by the Iscrtmmage,' which
consists In placing the ball ON the ground In the
rush forward and Kick fndlscrirninately until the
ball Is forced out Of the mass OF struggling men,
when on outside players seizes IL and speeds
towari the Opposite goa! This OF play Is pro-
ductiye of bruises and even OF broken limbs, which
are In reality seldom met with In well-trained
no athletic sport now In vogue that YES SO gen.
eral development OF the tody as this. A good
player must De active. strong and fast runner.
His strength must be equally distri uted N his
arms, his legs, and his body; he must be on the
alert for surprising situations; he must STRAIT
egg 70 confuse his opponents; IL fact he must be-
come, through training and practice, athletic in
E0nd well as body. such requirements for
good paying tend TO make good muscles and bring
improved health Once In while man Is hurt
and sometimes permanently injured This Is also
true IL & claimed, OF other outdoor sports
The game OF foot ball has been caleda
"ArAIC WARE"
there are two opposing forces one Of which
Il trying TO force the other back, which in
turn defends the ground, II has gained and at
the same time endeayOrs TO advance. orders
given by commandants. the captains, preconcer-
TED moves are made, flank movements and con-
fusing tactics adopted 10 demOraliZe the enemy,
and all accompanied by the shouts OF victory and
the struggles OF determined men. spectators are
moyedin sympathy with the players and cry out
with exultation or despair, according to the ad-
vantage or defeat OF their fayOrites.
The element OF surprise Is not wanting 70 make
the similarity 10 WARFARE more striking The bail
may b. near the goal line OF the side that seems to
Be sure To lose, when suddenly, from among a
crowd Of struggling FORMS one Will dart forward
hugging 70 his breast a dirty BALL and In another
minute the tables are turned and the chance OF
victory transferred Tue absence OF the general
Kicking OF the ball leads some TO think that the
game l. misnaned, but when II Is remembered
that the sport Is an outgrowth OF the English
the development OF the present rules tending 10
False the standard OF excellence in both indiyid-
usI ane team-playing. the wonder OF these people
VIII cease. There eau be no happier moment for
any athlete than when the "halI-oack," with tue
ball In MS arms. clears the line OF resisting men,
and speeds down the field with twenty players be-
hind him. lie must beat all o. those la the race and
then pass tie s'full-Oack,~ who threateningly ad-
vances, dodsing from side 20 side with him, and
eDdeavOr.ng 10 make fair "tackle- and arrest his
progress. once past hin. and he will have made
"touch-down." counting four points; then a goal
kick may follow, which Will count two more The
fuli-baek springs at the flying player, and II he
gets fair hold, in a second both OF
the players are on the ground. rolling and
struggling for the ball Suddenly one OF them
springs up, and before the crowd can realize the
situation. tue ful-back Is on for the other goal
such Changes OF luck often met with, and IL Is
this thought or the uncertainties OF the game that
nerves players to energetic wors, with the idea be-
fore them OF the Possibilities of luck